{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "How a German Candy Machine and a Mumbai Suburb Gave India Its Parle-G Biscuit",
  "summary": "A small candy factory that began in 1929, eighteen years before independence, grew into Parle-G, the Indian biscuit brand that took on expensive British competitors and won a permanent place in Indian kitchens.",
  "content": "For generations of Indians, the yellow and white packet that shows up with every cup of tea, Parle-G, has been a quiet part of daily life. Few people realise that the biscuit's origins lie in a lesser known chapter of the freedom struggle, one fought not on the streets but in factories and markets, at a time when eating a biscuit was widely seen as a privilege reserved for the British.\n\nWhen people think of the fight for independence, images of revolutionaries, slogans and marches usually come to mind first. Rarely remembered are the businessmen who put their own savings on the line and turned everyday Indian goods into a form of resistance. A new series called Swadeshi Ka Swag sets out to recover exactly these stories, and its opening chapter belongs to Parle-G, a brand whose journey began a full 18 years before India became independent.\n\nThe swadeshi movement of the early twentieth century pushed Indians to boycott foreign goods and back homegrown alternatives, from textiles to everyday household items. It was this atmosphere that pulled businessmen like Mohanlal Dayal toward building an Indian alternative in food as well.\n\nIt Started as a Candy Factory, Not a Biscuit Brand\nMohanlal Dayal, the man behind the Parle name, did not begin with biscuits at all. When he set up his first factory in 1929, the swadeshi movement was in full swing across the country, and it left a deep impression on him. At the time, candy in India largely meant imported foreign sweets, and getting a taste of it was out of reach for most ordinary Indians. Mohanlal decided that sweetness would now be made on Indian soil. He travelled to Germany and bought a candy making machine for roughly ₹60,000. The venture began in an old factory in Mumbai with just 12 workers, and notably, none of them were outside hires, all 12 were members of Mohanlal's own family. The company soon launched an orange coloured candy that quickly won over Indian taste buds.\n\nHow the Factory's Address Became the Brand Name\nThe factory itself was set up in the Irla and Parla areas of Mumbai. When it came time to name the brand, Mohanlal drew on this very location and called it Parle. That name would go on to become the identity of India's most trusted biscuit brand.\n\nTaking on Britain's Biscuit Monopoly\nAfter the early success of the candy business, Mohanlal's real battle was with British biscuit brands. Back then, most biscuits sold in India were imported, and their price kept them well out of reach of the ordinary consumer. It was almost an unwritten rule that eating biscuits was a privilege of the British. That idea rankled Mohanlal enough that in 1939, just 8 years before independence, he decided to start making biscuits too. The company launched Parle Glucose biscuits, whose taste was excellent and whose price was remarkably low. Against expensive British biscuits, this cheap and tasty alternative quickly caught on across the country. At the time, the market was dominated by British brands such as United Biscuits, Huntley & Palmers, Britannia and Glaxo, but Parle's low pricing and superior quality soon allowed it to mount serious competition against these established giants.\n\nA War That Changed Everything\nBetween 1939 and 1945, the Second World War forced Britain to mobilise vast resources for its forces, and demand grew rapidly for glucose biscuits that could give soldiers quick energy. This was the moment Parle-G had been waiting for. The wheat based glucose biscuit was already popular for its taste and affordable price, and during the war it began to be supplied to the British Indian Army. That access to the army further cemented Parle-G's reputation across the country. This success knocked the ground out from under the British biscuit makers operating in India, and their hold on the market began to slip steadily.\n\nFrom a Mumbai Workshop to Over 50 Countries\nThe company that once started out of a small Mumbai factory with 12 family members now runs a business that has spread to more than 50 countries. Millions of Indians still reach for the same biscuit with their morning tea, even if most of them have no idea of the struggle behind it. Parle-G is not just a biscuit, it stands as an example of the swadeshi spirit that beat the British at their own game of commerce.\n\nWhat this means for you\nFor anyone who still buys Parle-G: the next time you dip one in your tea, remember it is not just a snack but a symbol of an Indian brand that once helped push powerful British companies out of the market.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. When did Parle-G actually begin?\nIt began in 1929 as a candy factory, while the decision to make biscuits came later in 1939.\n\n2. How did the Parle-G name come about?\nThe factory was set up in the Irla and Parla areas of Mumbai, and the brand took the name Parle from that very location.\n\n3. Who founded the company?\nThe Parle brand was founded by Mohanlal Dayal.\n\n4. How many workers did the factory start with?\nIt started with just 12 workers, all of whom were members of Mohanlal's own family.\n\n5. Where was the candy making machine bought from, and for how much?\nIt was bought from Germany for roughly ₹60,000.\n\n6. When did Parle-G get its real breakthrough?\nDuring the Second World War, when its glucose biscuits began to be supplied to the British Indian Army.\n\n7. Which British brands did Parle-G compete against?\nBritish brands including United Biscuits, Huntley & Palmers, Britannia and Glaxo.\n\n8. How widespread is Parle-G's business today?\nIts business has now spread to more than 50 countries.\n\nInspiration & Lessons\nMohanlal Dayal's story shows that a big outcome can grow out of a very small start, as long as the intent behind it is strong.\n\n• Don't be afraid to start small: a business that began with just 12 family members and an old factory now reaches more than 50 countries.\n• Make a big investment when it matters: Mohanlal travelled to Germany and spent ₹60,000 on a machine, a substantial sum for that era.\n• Spot the gap in the market: at a time when biscuits were seen as something only the British could afford, Mohanlal saw the opportunity to bring them to ordinary Indians.\n• Compete on both price and quality: Parle won trust by offering a cheaper, tastier alternative to expensive foreign brands.\n• Time the decision right: launching a swadeshi biscuit during the height of the swadeshi movement tied Mohanlal's business to the public mood of the time.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/success-stories/germany-se-ai-60-hajara-ki-mashina-aura-eka-kaindi-phaiktri-aise-bana-angrejon-ko-takkara-dene-vala-parle-g-13962",
  "category": "Success Stories",
  "publishedAt": "2026-08-05",
  "tags": [
    "Parle-G",
    "Swadeshi Movement",
    "Biscuit History",
    "Mohanlal Dayal",
    "Indian Brands",
    "Independence Stories"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}